







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| Thanks father, where is Bear's lead? | |
| I wasn't expecting anything like this to happen, so I have no plan. | |
| But I don't know him well. | |
| Thanks, yeah, as I said, Camden is in zone-2... | |
| He is a plumber, dear, apparently it's clogged. | |
| I hope it's not related to me! | |
| That's right, I think pressure cookers are quite dangerous, too! | |
| It's impossible for me to commute from zone-9 to 1 everyday. | |
| Do you want me to call them? | |
| But we have to be quick, I don't have much time. | |
| Hey, which is the closest station to China Town? | |
| But that's true, some Chows are a bit aggressive. | |
| Anyway, I need to go to the loo as well... | |
| I wish you all the best. | |
| Also, he has got a very lovely, cute dog. | |
| It's not much less... There is a slight difference! | |
| I go out sometimes with the girls from school. | |
| You need to press the button down and turn it right. | |
| Does that help you to believe me? | |
| How many people live in this house? | |